White Sox look to keep improving vs. Orioles (May 23, 2018)
The Chicago White Sox will go for their fourth win in the past five games when they host the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night in the third contest of a four-game set at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Chicago (14-31) is coming off a 3-2 comeback victory over the Orioles on Tuesday night. The White Sox have showed promising signs as of late with dependable pitching and timely hits.
Yolmer Sanchez delivered the go-ahead hit to even the series at one game apiece heading into Wednesday.
"The guys kept battling," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said.
Baltimore (15-33) needs a win to avoid dropping to the worst record in the American League. The Orioles entered the season with high hopes but have fallen flat to start the season, including a miserable 5-20 record on the road.
Manager Buck Showalter's club has lost three of four and five of seven.
Orioles right-hander Alex Cobb (1-5, 6.56 ERA) will make his eighth start as he tries to turn around an ugly beginning with his new team. The 30-year-old agreed to a four-year, $57 million contract during spring training.
Cobb has given up at least three earned runs five times in his first seven outings. He has given up an eye-popping 59 hits in 35 2/3 innings while walking seven and striking out 19. He has allowed a homer in all but two of his starts.
"I think the biggest challenge that I'm facing right now is when you go through spring training, there's equal talent at an equal stage to where we're all able to go out there and fail and you're not feeling pressed with the results," Cobb said recently to the Baltimore Sun. "Those don't matter. You can give up an eight spot and the media doesn't care. You can tell them you're working on a pitch and reality was I had no idea what I was doing today.
"So, you have to find a way to realize that these are real games that matter, and those results really do stink and they're going on the back of your baseball card and they're going in the loss column for your team. But the challenge is to block it out -- it really is -- and that's the toughest part because I wake up after these outings with a sick feeling in my stomach because I'm thinking, 'What happened"?
In two career starts against the White Sox, Cobb is 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA.
The White Sox will counter with right-hander Dylan Covey (0-1, 6.00 ERA), who will make his second start of the season and the 14th of his career.
He remains in search of his first big league win as he is 0-8 lifetime with a 7.58 ERA since Chicago claimed him from the Oakland Athletics in the Rule 5 draft before last season.
Covey allowed six runs in four innings in his only career start against the Orioles last season. He gave up 10 hits, including a pair of home runs, and walked one while striking out three.
The Orioles continue to await the return of right-handed closer Zach Britton, who is recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon. Britton threw a 20-pitch simulated game Tuesday in Chicago.
"Every time I get on the mound, I'm feeling a little bit better -- kind of like spring," Britton said to the team's official website. "Every time you get on the mound, you feel a little bit sharper, and that's where I am right now."
